Posted on 09/11/2002 5:06:14 PM PDT by Noumenon
....And unfortunately to the applause of plenty Islamists and ultra-leftists right here in the U.S.A.
As you, I've had the experience of manual labor and running my own business. Plus, I've been on corporate payrolls and worked free lance as one of those people paid to "sit and think".
But one of the most illuminating lessons I ever had while consulting some people (pro-enviro post-modern Clinton loving liberals) on marketing a for-profit zoo. The zoo was in the process of being constructed -- buildings built, containments erected, streams and ponds dug and lined, trees being taken out, others planted. We were on a very tight timetable for what was a rather elaborate project.
The success of making the timetable hinged on the work of the contractor and his construction laborers. And, yet, the ownership treated the laborers with the greatest disdain. They had no appreciation for the work of the tradesman or the equipment operator, much less the manual laborer.
It was striking how they looked down on these construction people, as somehow ignorant and base, unskilled and without real worth. Yet, it was work that the owners themselves could (not would) not have undertaken. A backhoe was a mystery to them. Constructing and erecting a simple directional sign was beyond their carpentry and erection ability. And not one of them had the gumption to have dug his own ditch.
In short, the owners had no respect for the people they employed, nor the value of the work they did.
The liberal elite, however, will always contend that they "stand up for the working man". Even as they secretly despise him...
That was a job I was happy to conclude. And I share your appreciation for "the people who make America work." Indeed, I'd like to think I'm one of 'em...
Great post.
Is "democracy" big enough to accept both these points of view? Is there a way to incorporate a "Taliban" mindset into the planet and let them live in their caves peacefully?
But they come out of their caves to attack us. The dumb bastards. Which is easier? To kill them all or to aim for the heart?
I don't think the general citizenry understands the distinctions you've made (thanks in large part to publik education), and as a result, it has unwittingly used "democracy" to the point of provocation. Furthermore, FWIW, a good many of our own have absolutley no concept of the "tragic view of humanity."
Amazing what you can discern from a mere handshake. Shovels, wire, posthole diggers, etc. leave their unmistakeble imprints. My impression of the most learn-ned was that they too often lacked common sense- something gained through much trial and error which is synonymous with physical labor (not to mention, these guys hands are very soft).
Going one step further than the author, I'd say that Iraq should be easy pickins this time around since westernization has advanced throughout the ME and the days of the autocrat are seriously numbered. Their biggest downfall will be the vast wealth that rests beneath the sand with which they feather their palacial nests, rather than building a sustainable economy, thereby bettering the fortunes of their people. Fortunately for us, our vast wealth was continental wide as opposed to a bubbling vat under a couple of states.
Lacking a concept of 'rights' unalienable to men, these oil-rich countries will ultimately fall under the weight of extravegance, greed and unenlightenment.
The lengthy timetable preperations in the 'inevitable' war with Iraq may serve more than what appears obvious, that being- something other than smartbombs may be what 'breaks the camel's back'. And wouldn't that be nice?
One of the things my Dad drilled into my head ( he started literally dirt-poor, and ended with about 630 men working for him... ) was that all honest work was honorable.
It didn't matter to him whether you were the man who designed the site, or the guy cutting trenches to install the wiring & piping the designer specified-- everyone had a place, and no one place was better than another, because without each man doing his job competently, the job did not get done.
I really wish every person who thinks they are a member of some kind of elite group
( all the chattering heads on TV come to mind... and politicians as well. )
could spend a few weeks working with a work crew at a construction site and see for themselves the comeradre', humor, and general decency of the average American.
They'd learn more from that- about human nature- than from a year of schooling...
Our dads thought alike...
God bless 'em.
"They'd learn more from [a week with a construction crew]- about human nature- than from a year of schooling..."
They'll spend an hour on a grate with a homeless person, to prove how "good" they are. But don't ask them to associate with working people...
Yeah. It was the beginning of the end of liberalism. It will take a while, but the trend is right. September 10, 2001 was the craziest day in the history of our country.
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